Honda is to unveil a ‘revolutionary’ one person battery electric vehicle concept at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show.
Set to debut alongside the EV-N concept, the three wheeled wonder uses an electric drivetrain mounted low in the chassis to give the vehicle a low centre of gravity and increase its stability. It features a clear canopy that covers the driver’s seat while it is parked and not in use. When 3R-C vehicle is in motion, the canopy becomes an enveloping wind-shield that provides the pilot, who sits low in the vehicle, with significant protection from the bodywork and doors.
Despite its diminutive size, the high sides of the safety shell seat promise to give greater safety to the occupant, reducing the threat from side impacts and improving weather protection. In front of the driver is a lockable boot area, which gives significant secure storage for luggage or other items. The 3R-C’s designers created a flexible cover that surrounds the upper torso to reduce exposure to bad weather and improving comfort.
Created by designers working at Honda’s Research and Design facility in Milan, the 3R-C is the carmaker’s study into how future minimal urban transportation could look like.
Meanwhile the EV-N concept, previously shown at the Tokyo Motor Show, will make its European debut at the show. A design study inspired by the diminutive 1967 N360 city car, the EV-N features Honda’s own solar panels in the roof, which could charge the car while it is parked. Two of Honda’s U3-X, electric personal mobility devices are attached to the inside of each door. The two-door EV-N concept is envisioned with a lithium-ion battery pack, and small electric motor for predominantly urban use.
Alongside the two electric prototypes, the carmaker’s famous hydrogen fuel cell car, the FCX Clarity will also feature at the show.. Currently being leased by customers in Japan and the US, Honda’s only production fuel cell car now has two models permanently stationed in Europe for long-term research purposes. Alongside research work, the pair of FCX Claritys are being demonstrated at events like the COP 15 climate summit in Copenhagen, and the Berlin Climate Conference.
The Geneva Motor Show opens its doors to the motoring press on Tuesday, March 2, 2010. Stayed tuned to TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk as we bring you the latest and greenest from the show.
